As The Wind Blows
by Cherry4Mione
Summary: Follows Ron and Hermione's life, immediately after the war. Over death, love, loss, a growing family and regular disputes, can they keep everything together?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, any of its characters, creatures, spells, objects or anything else you recognise. This all belongs to JK Rowling.**

As The Wind Blows

**Chapter 1**

It seemed so odd. So odd that, only a few hours ago, the castle that had homed many for nearly eight years, provided love and comfort, had been raging in battle and filled with the dead, as much that now you couldn't hear a sound. It was also odd, that the hall was filled with the dead, a kind of chamber like in a graveyard, where all the dead was kept.

The dead. So many dead, yet the ones who had survived where the ones who wished they were, who had sustained so much.

Ron Weasley was one of those people. He had lost his brother and so much more during the war. There was nothing that he felt could make him feel better. The only thing that would help him right now was if his brother jumped and laughing it all off. But he didn't. He wouldn't, he couldn't. Fred Weasley was dead.

As he sat there on the steps, looking weak and broken, he didn't notice the girl walking towards him from behind. That horrible, horrible, _horrible_ hall, where his brothers body lay, his blank eyes staring up at them without life. She sat next to him and put her arm around him and pulled him close.

He felt like an idiot. All he could do was cry. But it was all he wanted to do, all he could do. It was as if he would never be happy again, not like the feeling from the presence of a Dementor, but of pure grief.

As he sat there, crying into her shoulder, he heard her saying things, things that didn't matter right now, all he cared about was that she was there, alive, comforting him and that they had each other.

His crying calmed down after a while and then he held her close.

"I'm so sorry" she whispered, feeling helpless. "I don't know what… Why… How… What are… What should we do?" Ron looked up at her smiling.

"I'm not sure" they both knew what that meant. More than an answer to the question. "But right now, I think we should go in"

They were doors. Double doors leading into the Great Hall of Hogwarts, which halls they had walked down for many years, their second home, which they couldn't master.

"Should we go in now?" Hermione whispered. They were gripping each others hands, wondering what to do, although they knew perfectly well what it was.

"We should" Ron said. Hermione nodded in agreement.

Yet neither moved.

"This is stupid" Ron said shaking his head. Hermione gave him a look.

"Its not stupid. Its just… Weird, I guess"

Ron looked at her and smiled. She was one of the only things that kept him going during the war.

He took a deep breath and then opened the door and took two great strides inside.

The bodies had been moves to one of the outer chambers and the house tables were back, though no one was sitting according to house. Luna sat alongside Neville on the Ravenclaw table and Parvati and Padma Patil sat on the Slytherin table next to where the injured where being treated. The Weasley's, of course were at the Gryffindor table. Not a Weasley had ever been outside of Gryffindor and no one intended to. Although they would never disown, Ron supposed it would be a horrible crime if you were a Slytherin Weasley.

"Lets go" Hermione said, this time pulling him forward towards his family, though there was no need as Ginny came running forward and launched herself into her brothers arms and started crying.

"I… I… I missed you… I… thought… I thought you were…" Her chest heaved with sobs. "And now… And now F-Fred is!" Ron patted her back. Ginny was perhaps the strongest Weasley, despite being the youngest child and only girl of seven… Now six.

If Ginny was broken, how was anyone to be okay?

"Its ok" Ron muttered.

But it wasn't. That was a cruel thing to say.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I probably wouldn't be writing _fan fiction _about it.**

As The Wind Blows

**Chapter Two**

"Ron" Ron looked up over his sisters head to see his mother and almost wished he hadn't. His family were in pieces, he could see, they all had tears and wounds, some which would never heal. Molly had lost a son. Loosing Fred as a brother was pain enough, loosing a son must be unbearable.

Ginny let go of him and allowed him to move towards his mother and hug her. Molly folded her arms around him tightly so that he was struggling to breathe a little.

"Thank goodness your ok" she said stroking his hair like she had when he was younger. Normally, Ron would have protested, but he felt that they needed each other.

After his mother he moved onto his father who immediately hugged him. Even though he had missed his family while hunting the horcruxes he hadn't realised just how much until he had saw Fred here, dead, and Percy with his head in his hands, forgiven by him first. It felt horrible, and he was riddled with guilt.

He missed him. So much. But he couldn't let it show, it was his fault, their fault for coming to Hogwarts in the first place. Although Voldemort was dead, Ron would give anything to have Fred back.

He looked back up at his family and saw Hermione. She was crying too, but she had no family to cry for. They weren't there with her, and she was crying for _him_, for their family. He wanted to go back over to her, but couldn't bring himself to leave his family. It was one of those odd situations where you felt torn and left feeling selfish and selfless.

* * *

Hermione looked down at the floor. It was covered in dirt and rubble, the Great Hall looked nothing like it once had, but even now she could see Filch sweeping up dirt, Madam Pomfrey treating the injured, volunteering wizards fixing smashed windows and even some people who had miraculously survived and suffered no loss, celebrating.

Hermione wanted to join in and forget, forget everything that was happening.

Fred was dead. It wasn't fair. She thought of the Weasley's who had lost a son, a brother and couldn't even imagine what they were going through. She looked up at Ron and saw him looking away at the same moment. She wondered if he saw her looking.

She looked around at the Weasley's and then realised Harry wasn't there. She quickly scanned the hall, but still couldn't see him. Her heart plummeted even more so when Professor McGonagall approached them. She didn't want to hear anyone, or speak herself right then.

"Molly" she said softly, more softly than Hermione had ever heard. "We are moving the… bodies" Mrs Weasley choked up a little at this. "They are going into the outer chambers and then we can set out some dinner… would that be ok?"

Mrs Weasley nodded, tears running down her cheeks.

"I-I s-suppose we ought t-to… Thank you Minerva"

The Weasley moved away from the body a little but George remained next to his twin.

"George, sweetheart, you have to get up" Mrs Weasley said.

"I'm not leaving him" He said in a strict kind of voice, not the kind you would ever expect to hear from George. Mrs Weasley started sobbing again.

"George… Come on, get up" Bill said. At his brothers words, he slowly got up and then walked away rather quickly, not wanting to talk to his family.

Arthur, Bill and Percy lifted up Fred's body and took it to the outer chamber. Ginny walked over to her mother and hugged her and Ron walked over to Hermione.

"Walk with me?" he asked. Hermione nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Hi, I just wanted to say I wrote the first chapter a long time ago like a year maybe and finally decided to post it. I don't like the second chapter so please review and leave **_**helpful constructive criticism**_**. Telling me the story sucks doesn't do anything to help me, just makes me feel awful, especially since I know the second one sucks, haha. I really want them to leave Hogwarts, but its going to be slow moving - well to write anyway. So that was my first Authors Note as well, I usually don't read them unless their important so I don't mind if you do or don't, but if it says IMPORTANT read it please! Thanks, Cherry**

**Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling, in case you were wondering. I'd own Harry Potter then.**

As The Wind Blows

**Chapter Three**

They left the Great Hall quite quickly and Hermione didn't blame Ron for walking so fast. It held too much. Memories, fears, friends, blood… It was all just too much.

As soon as they left, Ron collapsed against the wall breathing heavily.

"Sorry" he said quietly.

"For what?" Hermione asked.

"Dragging you out of there. I had to leave" Hermione smiled sadly.

"Ron, I don't blame you for anything. I wanted to leave too. It was all getting a bit too much" he grinned at her.

"Yeah" there was a moments silence.

"Did you mean it?" Ron asked suddenly.

"What?" Hermione asked, confused. Ron went pink and scratched behind his ear.

"That… the um… well… when we-"

"Kissed?" Hermione asked briskly. Ron smiled.

"Yeah that"

"Well… I… I don't know, I just-" She was cut off as Ron kissed her suddenly, but pulled away quickly.

"Please don't tell me it was just the heat of the moment, please. I don't want to go back to that horrible annoying place where we are just friends"

Hermione laughed, and was glad to finally have a reason to be happy.

Ron.

"No" she said grinning. "That cold, horrible place" and she kissed him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I'm not rich, I'm not famous and I don't own Harry Potter. But my Hogwarts Letter **_**is**_** coming soon!**

**A/N The break in between is in the Deathly Hallows when Harry shows them the wand. After this bit, it is my imagination.**

As The Wind Blows

**Chapter Four**

Ron and Hermione returned back to the Great Hall hand in hand, heading back towards the Weasley's to have dinner in the Great Hall. They sat down besides Charlie and started eating. There was silence for a few minutes, until Ron looked up and saw his brothers looking at them.

"What?" he asked. Bill grinned.

"You two are so obvious" he replied.

"What?"

"So when did it happen?" Charlie asked, grinning.

"Who made the first move?" George asked speaking for the first time in a while. The others looked at them expectantly.

"I don't need to talk to you people" he said. It was embarrassing, but really worth it, if only just to hear his family laugh.

A few minutes later, Hermione elbowed him. He looked up and saw Harry.

* * *

Entering the Great Hall behind Harry, Molly pulled the trio over to the other Weasley's.

"I want to tell you the plan for today, we are leaving in an hour" she said.

"Why so soon?" Ron asked.

"Is there really any reason to stay?" she asked him. Ron shrugged, realising there really wasn't.

"Are we going straight back to the Burrow then?" Hermione asked. Molly shook her head.

"No, all of our belongings are at our Aunt Muriel's, so we are going back there for the night and Arthur will go check on the Burrow. If it is in good condition, we can go back by tomorrow"

Ron groaned, not only that he didn't want to go to Aunt Muriel's, but because they didn't know which condition the Burrow was in and were scared to see.


End file.
